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Garbanzos Delicious Over Brown Rice

Merri Lou Dobler Correspondent

In 1773, Samuel Adams and a group of patriots dumped more than 300 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor in what is famously known as the “Boston Tea Party.”

In 1997, registered dietitians stormed Boston for their own party, celebrating not only the benefits of tea and other foods, but also revolutionary advances in nutrition.

In a city of baked beans, cream pie and clam chowder, nutrition experts focused on folic acid, obesity treatment and alternative medicine.

Held at the Hynes Veterans Memorial Auditorium, more than 10,500 registered dietitians descended on Boston two weeks ago for the 80th annual Meeting and Exhibition of the American Dietetic Association. Included in this group were 49 health professionals with 50 years or more of service as dietitians - very impressive.

It was a week of excitement: a variety of presentations by experts, updates on current research, networking with dietitians and, oh, yes, food. With 378 exhibitors of food products on hand, dietitians sampled everything from low-fat microwave french fries (really good) to pureed cookies (actually, pretty good!). I was usually so full by the end of each day that one of my sisters, who made special trips into the city from Gardner, Mass., bemoaned the fact that she couldn’t treat me to dinner.

And so I am back in Spokane, ready to give you, the nutrition consumer, information that will help you make smart decisions in healthy eating.

These aren’t Boston baked beans, but here’s a recipe for wonderfully spiced garbanzo beans that goes best over high-fiber, quick-cooking brown rice.

And next year’s ADA convention? Kansas City, here we come!

Spicy Garbanzos

From “Pasta, Rice & Beans” (Betty Crocker Creative Recipes, 1997).

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon whole mustard seed

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cans (15 ounces each) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

Heat oil in 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook mustard seed and onion in oil, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 265 calories, 1 gram fat (3 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 63 grams carbohydrate, 19 grams protein, 18 grams dietary fiber, 420 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes MEMO: The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to: Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, RECIPE - Five and Fifteen

The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to: Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, RECIPE - Five and Fifteen